Through the Years
by Kara B
Summary: JamesJulie. Can a marriage ruined, be salvaged?


Title: Through the Years

Author: Kara B aricadavidson or karamuse

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: James Wilson/Julie

Warnings: None.

Disclaimer: These characters are not mine. Lyrics belong to Kenny Rogers "Through the Years"

Written for: corastacy

Summary: A sequence of moments in a marriage.

_LYRICS REMOVED _

The café was small; the romantic type intended mainly for couples in which to celebrate all the usual couple milestones as well as for romantic dates. James had always been the romantic type, since they'd begun to date… had followed tradition; almost to the point of being cheesy. i _More likely often to that point /i _ Julie corrected herself mentally. James was the man she'd dreamt of all her life… kind, compassionate, sweet, handsome… He even had a great job, or soon would, and one that would bring them a lot of money and give them a comfortable life… if he ever proposed. She hated to, but almost anticipated it every time they went on one of these dates and she'd slowly grown to realize that he had to do it when he was ready and when he felt like he had enough money saved up to pay off his loans and be able to provide for them. Doubt occasionally gripped her about whether or not she was good enough for him and whether she could handle being married to a man whose first love would always be his work.

"Sometimes I wish you could turn that thing off," Julie said as James fumbled with his beeper absently.

"I know," he smiled apologetically. "It's interrupted far too many of our evenings. And it probably will continue that way."

"I know," she replied, "And it's okay. I understand. It's one of the things that attracted me to you… your desire and need to help other people."

"But you think you can live with it?" he asked slowly, almost hesitantly.

"Of course I can. I love you James and that's ultimately all that truly matters."

"That's good to hear, because," he paused as he awkwardly pulled a box out of his pocket and dropped to one knee next to her. "Julie, will you marry me? Will you be my wife and make me the happiest man on Earth?"

Tears filled her eyes and she nodded. It was a moment before she could respond verbally, but she finally managed. "Yes… of course." And she wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly, then planting a passionate kiss on his lips.

"It's a mistake!" Greg House said in a sing-song voice to his friend, James Wilson.

Wilson turned to face him. "You've never liked Julie but yet you won't tell me why either. Put up or shut up Greg."

"I think she wants to marry well, if you get my drift. Sleeping with a rich doctor is a great thing to tell the girlfriends but married to one is even better."

"Who doesn't want to marry well? And Julie loves me. I know that and I love her. Just because you can't seem to hold onto a woman…" Wilson trailed off and stopped for a long moment. "Greg, I hope you'll come to the wedding, but if you don't, it's your loss." He turned and started to walk away when he felt a cane poke into his back.

"I'm the best man. You can't have a wedding without me."

"The bride and the groom are traditionally the ones required to be present," Wilson replied matter of factly.

"I'll be there," House replied again, trying to sound serious.

"Hard to believe since you hate my guts," Julie replied as she walked up.

"I don't hate your guts," House replied. "Maybe your spleen or something."

"Uh huh," Julie nodded. "Look Greg, I love James," she put a hand on Wilson's shoulder. "And I know you're his best friend and I would like us to at least be able to be civil with each other."

"Surely you're not suggesting that I'm not civil?" House asked in his patented snarky tone.

Julie just shook her head and walked away, trying to be the bigger person. Not like Greg House had much integrity though. She'd heard the stories about him… how he thumbed his nose at rules and regulations and procedure… how he'd endangered the lives of several patients. She honestly did not have much respect for him.

"You've been what!" James Wilson exclaimed, looking at his wife in shock. "You've been having an affair? How long? And who the hell is he?"

"James, I'm sorry. I do love you… I…" she trailed off, biting her lip, hard enough that a moment later she had the metallic taste of blood on her lips. "I want to work this out. I love you James… I'm just… You're not completely innocent in all this."

"You cheat on me and I'm the one who's at fault?" he blew up.

"I never said that my cheating was your fault. I made the mistake and as much as I wish I could, I can't take it back. I just…" she trailed off yet again. "Our marriage hasn't been the healthiest for a long time. And we've both made mistakes."

"I haven't ever cheated on you."

"Maybe not with a woman... at least not yet," she replied. "But you spent Christmas over at Greg's house rather than come home to me. Most men would want to spend the holiday with their wife, not with a friend or at the hospital. I understand that sometimes you don't have a choice. There's something here that's not working and I'm so sorry that it took me hurting you this way for me to see it. I'm not saying that I'm innocent. But I am willing to work to change the way things are if you're willing to give us another chance." She bowed her head, tears in her eyes. "If you need time, I'll understand and if you don't want to work this out, then I'd understand that too."

She'd never thrown herself out there so far or risked so much as in that speech she'd given and it wrenched her heart when he moved away from her and began packing a bag. "I can't deal with this right now. You screwed me over and not in the pleasant way I might add and yet it's somehow supposed to be my fault." He went into a long tirade and when he was done, stormed out of their house.

Because he hadn't seen his own wrongs. Hers were far too easy to point at.

A month later:

"Do you really want to give this a shot?" Wilson asked calmly. "For it to work, we both have to commit to making lots of changes. And it might not work out anyway." He was hesitant, not wanting to give up and become a statistic. Giving up was far too easy. However, he also didn't want to walk back into a bad situation. If it was hopeless…

Julie nodded. "Love is a choice James. It's about sticking together through all the bad as well as the good. And I choose to love you and no one else forevermore."

James smiled at her slightly, seeing the commitment in her eyes and realizing the conviction behind the words; the same conviction which he held. He wanted them to be together, through the years.

_LYRICS REMOVED_


End file.
